Is there a Mac dictation commands cheat sheet or PDF?

There is no official cheat sheet or PDF from Apple for Mac Dictation that we could find. Apple's command list is a web page called Commands for dictating text on Mac, and it is the source to print from. Our guide to Mac dictation commands also ends with a printable table. Some third-party sheets exist, but many were written for older Dictation features, so check each command against the current list before you rely on it.

Print Apple's command list to get a current PDF

Apple's page is the source for the commands, and it is the one to trust. The commands on it are always available while you're dictating text, so the list applies whenever you dictate ¹. The commands let you enter punctuation, capital letters and symbols, including symbols for math and currency ².

To make your own PDF:

1. Open the Apple Mac Help page for commands for dictating text on your Mac in Safari or another browser.
2. Choose File, then Print.
3. In the print dialog, choose Save as PDF from the PDF menu, then save the file.

A saved copy reflects the page on the day you print it. Apple updates its pages with each macOS version, so print again after a major update. Our mac dictation commands guide records the macOS version and the date we read the page.

Older cheat sheets list editing commands that Apple's Dictation list does not include

One free sheet is a printable PDF from the MacMost website. Its page is dated 5/8/19 and is titled as an Enhanced Dictation cheat sheet ³. The page tells readers to turn on Enhanced dictation in the old System Preferences menu before the commands will work ⁴.

The PDF goes further than Apple's current list. It includes editing commands such as "Delete that", which deletes the selected text, and "Select all", which selects all text ⁵. Apple's current Dictation command list has no command to select, delete or undo text. Our reading of the list is that editing is not part of standard Dictation.

Editing belongs to Voice Control, and Voice Control is a different mode. When Voice Control is on, Apple says that standard macOS Dictation isn't available ⁶. Voice Control deletes an item by saying "Delete" followed by its number ⁷. So a phrase such as "Delete that" may belong to a different mode, an older release, or a third-party tool, and it may not work on your Mac at all.

For the single-word case, see how to delete a word with Mac dictation, which covers both the keyboard route and the Voice Control route.

How to check a cheat sheet before you use it

Use this checklist for any sheet you find, including ours:

1. Check the date and the setting names. A sheet that mentions Enhanced dictation or System Preferences was written for an older Mac.
2. Check each command against Apple's list. If a phrase is not on Apple's Dictation page, do not assume it works. Apple's Voice Control commands page does not list "delete that" or "select next word" either. We checked it on 17 October 2026.
3. Check Voice Control in your own Mac. Open System Settings, go to Accessibility, then Voice Control, and open the Commands list. Apple says the full list of supported Voice Control commands, with examples, is there ⁸.
4. Test a phrase before you rely on it. Say it in a text document and check the result. A command that works in one app may not work in another.

For the difference between the two modes, read Dictation vs Voice Control vs Siri on a Mac. For the full Voice Control list, see Voice Control commands on Mac. If a phrase on a cheat sheet types a word you did not want, see why Mac dictation types your commands.

What to do

If you need a printed reference today, print Apple's command list to PDF and keep it beside your keyboard. Use the printable table in our guide if you prefer a shorter list. Treat any older PDF as a guide to what was once possible, not as a list of what your Mac does now.

For the spoken name of a mark, see the spoken punctuation term. For the difference between the dictation and the control modes, see the Voice Control term. For the Mac key that starts Dictation, read the Microphone key term.